Animal trap



May I, 1923.

J. C. BAUMAN ANIMAL TRAP Filed March 19 2 Sheets-sheet 1 attentati May1, 1923. 1,453,615

v J. c. BAUMAN ANIMAL TRAP Filed March 19, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gMWI/Lito@- Patented May 1, 1923.

raient ANIMAL TRAP.

' Application filed March 19, 1921.. ASerial No. 453,766.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JULIUS Cnnnnn'r BAU- MAN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Miles, in the county ofRunnels and State of Texas, have invented vcertain new and usefulimprovementsV in Animal Traps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to animal traps and more particularly to thatclass of devices for trapping small fur bearing animals and the like inthe field orelsewherewithout injury or damage to the animal.

The primary object of the invention is the construction of a new andimproved animal trap wherein a plurality of separate entrances andcompartments are provided for trapping animals and so constructed andarranged to permit the bait to be positioned at a central point withrespect to each of the compartments and prevent the animals fromobtaining the same. o

A still further and important object ofthe invention resides in a newand improved animal trap of the class above designated wherein theseparate entrances and compartments are eachprovided with an automatictrip device and door which, when actuated will close the compartment andconfine the animal therein without effecting the remaining portion ofthetrap so that each respective compartment may also trap the animals soentering them.

Another and equally important object of the invention is theconstruction of a new and improved trap which is capable of variousmodifications and designs to present a plurality of Aseparate andindependent compartments7 and one which will embody` a constructionwhich is extremely simple, consisting of comparatively few partstherefore inexpensive to manufacture, highly efiicient lin operation anduse, strongy and durable,

and so designed to be made in any size or of such material as mayberequired for the purpose to which the trap is intended.

With these objects in view and others which will be manifest andsuggested as the purpose and nature of `my invention are revealed in thefollowingl specification and drawing wherein l have shown but onee`mbodiment thereof,

Figure 1 is a plan view.l

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the door in its raised and set position.

F ige isa perspectivev view ofv a. trip board and its trip braces. y

Fig. 5 is a view of a tripbar, `and Fig. 6 is a View ofv a trip rod usedin connection with the invention. f l

Referring nowto the drawing where. like parts designate correspondingparts throughout the specication, 5 and 6 designate a pair of parallelframe boards and 7 and 8 a similar pair of boards extending at right`angles thereto beingsimilarly arranged in relation to a correspondingframeconsti tuting the bottomframe of the trap..` The top and bottomframes, above referred to,y are also connected by vertical boards 10,11l

which constitute a doorwayvor entrancefor the compartments subsequentlyto lbe referred to. y v

i The respectivetop and bottom frames of the trap are also connected bysubstantially'` narrow connecting boards 12, 13 at their ltop andbottom7 the entire trap with the exception ofthe doorway being coveredby-a ne wire mesh 15 as iscommon to constructions oflthis type. Diagonalvpartitions 16`within the trap divide the same into a pluralityA ofsubstantially rectangular compartments 17 each of which is provided witha separate entrance 'and automatically operated? vertir cally slidabledoor-0r closure 18, the operation of whichV will be referred to now :indetail. i l

At the common Lcenter 19a of the trap there is provided an inclosedcompartment as shown may be observedthrough each of the separateentrances to entice the animai as is readily understood. y y n It' willof vcoursebe understood'that each slidable door operates independentlyofthe others and therefore it will only be-neces; t sary to'describe theoperation of one of said v door 18 is adapted tofslide in aguideway. `orgroove 19 and as shown is provided'withv an 'inwardly extending L-shapedhookfQO near its upper end. A vertical standard 21 is .connected to atriggerv vbar l22 by a 're-v silient spring 23, theL outer end of saidtrigger bar 22 being connected to an offset, bentv at spring 24 securedat v25 to one side of the trap. The bar 2v2 is provided with adepending, catch 26 which in itsset position I tisana erica. j

JULIUs onnnnnr BAUMAN, on MILES, TEXAS.

90 for receiving the bait designated 20- which is adapted to engage thel -shaped member 2O as clearly shown in l? 2, and thus retain the doorin its vertical or raised position The outer end of the bar 22 carries abent 5 trigger rod retaining` member 27 which engages beneath a similar,inverted member or catch 28 which is secured at 29 in any well 'knownmanner to a horizontal trip rod 30 which is free to oscillate insupports 30a sutificiently to permit the respective members 27, 28 toengage therewith and thus retain the trigger bar 22 in its set position.

eye 8l torn'ied on the member 28 promeans for connecting one terminal olelement 32 which is trained about roller Si; mountei'l in suitablesupand connected at 352 to a trip board 56 which is hingediy connectedat 37 to a pair of vertical' trip braces 38 which braces are suspended`from a flat connecting trip or board 39 positioned in proximity to thecentral compartment' which receives the bait.

ln setting; the trap, itwill be readily seen that as the door 18 israised in its lguide, the catch 26 may bc brought into engagement andbeneath: the member 20ct' said door to hold it in its raised position asthe trigger bar 22 is depressed against the resistance ot the spring#28. the end ol: the trigger bar 22` is lowered, the catch or bent end 27may be brought into engagement with the element 2S ot the trip rodwhereby the trip board B6 will be brought to its horizontal operative orset position as shown in the right hand portion of Fig. 2.

From this position,`it will be readily recognized that as the animalsteps on the trip board 36, the weight ot the animal will cause a pullon the flexible element 32 resulting` in releasingV the elements 27, 28whereby the trigger bar 22 will fly upward thus releasing the catch 2Gfrom the member 20 carried by the door which will ot course fall bygravity and thus close the compartment. rlhev operation the respectivedoors are therefore necessarily independent of each other so that in theactual use of the trap, it would be possible to catch an animal in anyone or all ot the separate compartments in the manner above shown anddescribed.

V-.Thilev l have shown the trap as consisting or but 'four compartments,it will be readily recognized that the design of the said trap may bealtered to suit the need and occasion required depending on the localityin which the trap is tobe used.

In the accompanying drawings, l have illustrated my invention embodiedin `one fi w, il) i' vides stricted the precise elements shown eX- ceptin so lied in the subject matter being claimed.

Having` shown and described my invention, what l new claim as newanddesire to secure by lietters Patent of thel U. S. is

l. e. trap having an inclosed baiting chamber and a compartment leadinathereto, a slidable door for said compartment, a spring; controlledtrigger barY for retainingl said door in its raised, set position, atrip rod operatively engaged with said trigger bar and flexible meansfor releasing said trigger bar 'from the tripv rod whereby the door isreleased and falls by gravity to close said compartment.

2. A trap having' an inclosed baiting chamber and a compartment leadingthereto, a ,gravity slidable door for saidcompartment, a. spring`controlled trigger bar for retaining? the said door in its raised, lsetpositien, trip rod operatively engaged with trigger bar, a hingedlyconnected trip board within the compartment, and a ilexib'le elementconnecting; the trip rod and trip board whereby the tri l`iger bar isreleased by the weight of an object on the' said board and the doorcloses by gravity.

3. A trap having an inclosed baiting chamber and a compartment,leadingthereto, a slidable door for said compartment, a support abovesaid door, a flat spring secured to the side of the cage below thesupport, a trigger bar having one end attached to said flat spring, acoiled spring connectino; said support and trigger bar, a bent catchcarried by the opposite end of said trigger bar, a trip rod operativelyengaged with said catch, ai hingedly connected trip board with-inthecompartment in proximity to the baiting chamber, a flexible elementconnecting said trip .rod and trip board whereby when the trigger bar isreleased by the weight of an object on said board the door will close bygravity.

ln testimony whereof, I afiX my signature hereto. N

JULiUs ciinnnr BAUMAN.

far as such limitations are speci-

